Benjamin Petit
Benjamin Petit, also called Chichipé Outipé (Little Duck), was a Catholic missionary.
Contents
History
Petit was drawn to the diocese of Vincennes and the work of Stephen Badin, who established the mission to the Patowatomi nation on the St. Joseph River. Bishop Simon Bruté appointed him to the Yellow River Indian Reservation.
He integrated thoroughly into the Patowatomi nation and advocated for them within the Church. His family, back in Rennes, France, sent funds to Benjamin's mission.
Petit joined the Patowatomi on the Trail of Death. Incidentally, they passed through Quincy at the same time as Brigham Young and the Mormons, who were traveling to Utah to flee persecution. Petit fell ill while traveling in 1839. He was relieved of his appointment in St. Louis, and died there.
Legacy
Petit was later re-interred in Stephen Badin's log chapel on the Patowatomi mission, which is now the University of Notre Dame.